Home Network Domain Master

1. A domain master for a home network comprising: a receiver to receive at least one transmission from at least one node of its domain indicative of at least one node of at least one neighboring domain whose transmissions are interfering; a scheduler to schedule transmissions of said at least one node of its domain in coordination with domain masters of said neighboring domains to prevent said at least one node of its domain from transmitting simultaneously with said at least one node of said at least one neighboring domain when interference from said at least one node of said at least one neighboring domain exceeds a threshold while allowing said at least one node of its domain to transmit simultaneously with other nodes of said at least one neighboring domain.

2. A domain master according to claim 1 wherein said scheduler comprises an interference evaluator to determine a level of said interference; a planner to plan said transmissions of said at least one node of its domain according to said level of said interference; and interdomain coordinator to communicate with said neighboring domain masters.

3. A domain master according to claim 1 wherein said scheduler comprises means to instruct nodes of its domain to periodically transmit a media access plan with default parameters to enable neighboring domains nodes the detection of interfering nodes.

4. A domain master according to claim 2 wherein said scheduler comprises means to produce a media access plan having zones allocated to nodes with allocations dependent on said level of said interference between neighboring nodes.

5. A domain master according to claim 2 wherein said planner comprises an allocator to provide allocations to nodes experiencing interference from interfering nodes of neighboring domains below said threshold in at least one orthogonal preamble TXOP zone.

6. A domain master according to claim 2 wherein said planner comprises an allocator to provide allocations to nodes experiencing interference from interfering nodes of neighboring domains above said threshold in protected TXOP zones of said media access plan separate from protected TXOP zones of media access plans allocated for said interfering nodes of said neighboring domains.

7. A domain master according to claim 6 wherein said inter domain coordinator comprises means to negotiate the locations of said protected TXOP zones with inter domain coordinators of said neighboring domains masters, wherein said negotiate comprises at least sending a request and receiving a confirmation of said request.

8. A domain master according to claim 1 wherein said scheduler comprises an aligner to align MAC cycles between its domain and said neighboring domains when said protected TXOP zones are needed.

9. A domain master according to claim 2 wherein said planner also comprises means for allocating contention based TXOPs for coordinated domains in which transmissions are to be transmitted with a default preamble.

10. A domain master according to claim 7 and wherein said scheduler also comprises means to release at least one TXOP within said protected TXOP zone to said domain master of said neighboring domain responsive to said negotiating if the traffic services required by said neighboring domain master for the time allocated for said TXOP are of higher priority.

11. A method of generating a transmission schedule for a network device of a home network, the method comprising: a domain master receiving at least one transmission from at least one node of its domain indicative of at least one node of at least one neighboring domain whose transmissions are interfering; and said domain master scheduling transmissions of said at least one node of its domain in coordination with domain masters of said neighboring domains to prevent said at least one node of its domain from transmitting simultaneously with said at least one node of said at least one neighboring domain when interference from said at least one node of said at least one neighboring domain exceeds a threshold while allowing said at least one node of its domain to transmit simultaneously with other nodes of said at least one neighboring domain.

12. A method according to claim 11 and also comprising: said domain master determining a level of said interference; said domain master planning said transmissions of said at least one node of its domain according to said level of said interference; and said domain master communicating with neighboring domain masters to coordinate said transmissions according to said level of said interference.

13. A method according to claim 11 and also comprising said domain master instructing said nodes of its domain to periodically transmit a media access plan with default parameters to enable neighboring domains nodes the detection of interfering nodes.

14. A method according to claim 12 and also comprising said domain master producing a media access plan having zones allocated to nodes with allocations dependent on said level of said interference between neighboring nodes.

15. A method according to claim 11 also comprising said domain master providing allocations to nodes experiencing interference from interfering nodes of neighboring domains below said threshold in at least one orthogonal preamble TXOP zone.

16. A method according to claim 11 also comprising said domain master providing allocations to nodes experiencing interference from interfering nodes of neighboring domains above said threshold in protected TXOP zones of said media access plan separate from protected TXOP zones of media access plans allocated for said interfering nodes of said neighboring domains.

17. A method according to claim 16 also comprising said domain master negotiating the locations of said protected TXOP zones with inter domain coordinators of said neighboring domains masters, wherein said negotiating comprises at least sending a request and receiving a confirmation of said request.

18. A method according to claim 11 also comprising said domain master aligning MAC cycles between its domain and said neighboring domains when said protected TXOP zones are needed.

19. A method according to claim 11 also comprising said domain master allocating contention based TXOPs of coordinated domains concurrently in which transmissions are to be transmitted with a default preamble.

20. A method according to claim 17 and also comprising said domain master releasing at least one TXOP within said protected TXOP zone to said domain master of said neighboring domain responsive to said negotiating if the traffic services required by said neighboring domain master for the time allocated for said TXOP are of higher priority.